Winter Beach Session | Crone Family

Sometimes in South Carolina it’s nice enough to go to the beach in the winter.  We lucked out on a beautiful day for the Crone Family’s photos last Christmas!  There was a gorgeous sunset that started out orange and turned pink and a really cool vintage truck was in the parking lot at Folly Beach County Park.  The owner was generous enough to let us take some photos with it. 🙂

Sarah Goldman is a beach photographer at Folly Beach.

Kiawah Family Photos | The Callahan Family

I recently met the Callahan Family who have been vacationing on Kiawah for many years.  It didn’t take long for the Callahan kids to show me how high they can jump and how well they can play “Simon Says”!   We were treated to a beautiful night on the beach – windy, but perfect.  We even saw a doe grazing in the dunes on our walk back up the boardwalk.  A perfect Kiawah night!

And just because it’s SHARK WEEK this week…..

I think that one should be their holiday card this year!

 

Sarah Goldman is a family photographer serving the greater Charleston area including Isle of Palms, Kiawah, Seabrook, and Folly Beach.

Family Photos at the Beach | A Typical Session

In the summer I spend most of my evenings photographing families on the beach in Charleston.  I wanted to give you an idea of what a typical family beach session is like.

If a client is staying at a beach house on Folly or Isle of Palms I will typically meet them at the house and we go out onto the beach from there. If they are staying elsewhere we will choose a good meeting spot.  Beach sessions are done the hour before sunset unless the client requests a sunrise session.

We almost always start off with a nice posed family portrait near the house or out on the beach.

From there I generally photograph some smaller groups such as: individual families, grandparents, couples, dad with kids, mom with kids, grandparents with all the grand kids, siblings, family dogs, etc.  There is no limit to the number of groupings, so please don’t hesitate to ask!

Then I usually do some more photos with the entire group with a different background.  We usually make our way closer and closer to the water. Sometimes it will be a walking one.

If the client wants them, I will photograph kids individually.  By this point they are usually pretty warmed up and their personality shows through! Usually towards the end of the session the kids are kind of dictating what we do and I just go with the flow to get the best shots.

The best light is towards the end of the session – if we’re lucky we’ll be treated to a pretty pink or orange sky and then my favorite time of day – blue hour!

Once we are sure we have gotten all the groupings the family wants we’ll take some more casual, playful shots – sometimes sitting in the sand or even getting in the water!  This is always a fun reward for kids who are getting tired of posing and smiling on cue.

Here are my tips for a successful beach session:

1. Leave your worries behind.  Don’t fret too much about that one family member who won’t wear what you want them to or a cranky kid who missed their nap.  This is going to be fun – I promise!
2. Wear clothes you are comfortable in and are OK getting sandy… and possibly wet.
3. Don’t punish kids during a session.  This is the time to let your parenting rules fly out the window – we only have a limited amount of time together and if a child starts crying sometimes they can’t come back from it.  This is the time to bribe bribe bribe!  I suggest the promise of ice cream or getting to play in the water afterwards.  I usually have little toys in my bag as a reward/bribe. 🙂
4. Have perspective.  This is more than a photo session.  This is precious time with your family.  When you look at the photos years down the road you will remember that this was a special time with those you hold dear.

Once I get home and backup your photos I dig in to editing.  If you want a sneak peek I will post something to Instagram and Facebook while I’m editing.  Then within a week I deliver your edited photos via a private online gallery.  Typically there are 50-70 photos delivered. Clients can download the digital files from the gallery and also order archival-quality prints (4 x 6 to 11 x 14) too.

Want to see more photos of Folly Beach?  Click HERE.  Isle of Palms more your jam? Click HERE.  I’m also available for sessions on Kiawah and Seabrook Island. Sullivans Island does not allow commercial photography, but there are plenty of other options!  I generally book up 2 weeks in advance, so CONTACT ME to schedule your family beach session soon.

Please feel free to reach out if you have questions about family photos on the beach.  I hope to see you on the beach this summer!

 

Sarah Goldman is a family photographer in Charleston, SC.

 

 

Beach Sessions | Folly Beach & Isle of Palms

Family beach sessions are booking quickly this summer!  I’m excited to see some returning clients who rent beach houses at Folly or Isle of Palms every year and some new folks too. 🙂  Info: Beach sessions take place the hour before sunset (around 7ish depending on the date).  I can meet you at your beach house or another location.  I keep a couple dates open each week in case of rain.

Here are some photos of past year’s beach sessions:

Contact me to check my availability during your Charleston vacation!

 

Sarah Goldman is a family photographer in Charelston, SC.

James Island Family Photos | Renkas Family

Here are some favorites from the Renkas Family’s session on James Island:

Sarah Goldman is a family photographer in Charleston, SC.

 

10th Anniversary | Trash the Dress

Katie + Ryan are celebrating 10 years this month as husband and wife!  We did a “trash the dress” session at Folly Beach to mark the occasion.

 

Sarah Goldman is a photographer in Charleston, SC.

Charleston Babymoon | Diana + Adam

Diana and Adam came to Charleston for their BABYMOON.  Yes, this is a thing!  One last vacation sans baby.  Diana is due next month.  We did their maternity session at Folly Beach just after the sun rose in the East.  How beautiful is this mama?

Sarah Goldman photographs maternity sessions at the beach in Charleston, SC.

 

Fun Family Session at the Beach in Bonaire | Kats Family

The Kats Family had a pretty exciting 24 hours leading up to this sunset family session in Bonaire.  They had just flown in from a holiday in Italy and their offer was accepted on their first home!  Add to that that they are expecting their second child this year, and there was just a lot to celebrate!

I had a vision to take photos with the pink water of the salt flats in the background, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how these turned out.

It was great to meet you Kats Family!  I hope our paths cross again in Bonaire or Charleston!

Sarah Goldman is a family and maternity photographer in Charleston, SC but is available for travel worldwide.

Folly Beach Family Photos | Montanaro + Riley Families

Almost every summer since 2010 my friends, Katie and Bo come to Charleston to spend a week at Folly Beach.  The trips started with just the two of them and now they come with their little one in tow along with siblings and grandparents.  This year’s family photos at the beach were so much fun.  Gabe is now a year old and full of smiles and laughter.

Sarah Goldman is a beach photographer in Charleston, SC.

 

Downtown Family Session | The Dresslers

The Dresslers were vacationing in Charleston over the summer, and while everyone was together Emilee planned a family portrait session.  As soon as they arrived  at White Point Gardens some birds that were roosting in the live oaks pooped on several family members!  We had to run out to the sidewalk to escape!  What a start to a family session.  😦  Fortunately, this family had a great sense of humor and we all had a great time.  Thanks, Dressler family!

This was their Christmas card photo this year!